Every time I see some bit of news about it, I start to cry... This happened in an intersection that I walk through almost every day.. I work a block away from this area, and.. Well, the news hasn't released the names of the people that were killed or hurt yesterday, and I'm very afraid that there might be someone that I know in the list. It's a really big possibility, and there is no way that I'd be notified anytime soon. One of my coworkers, friends, or students? I mean, I go through here on an almost daily basis myself, and it's only luck that I wasn't there that day.. I did check in with the friends most likely to be in the area and theyr'e alright..It turned out that two of them were there immediately after the stabbings, and saw the aftermath of ambulances/helicopters/police cars. T___T Yesterday morning, a man ran a truck into the crowd of people in the street in front of Sofmap, on the main street of Denki Town in Akihabara (they close the street to cars on Sundays). Then he jumped out and started stabbing people. So far seven people have died.. I heard about it while I was out to dinner with Eda in the evening, from Erin, who had heard about it right upon returning from Korea.

So so sad. Akihabara doesn't seem so much like a paradise anymore. It's one of my favorite places in Tokyo to spend time (especially if I do have money..) But I don't even want to go there for work tomorrow..

I got comments from people that were worried. There are messages going around in japanese at work on how to deal with anyone who is really distraught over the event and might come up to us. It's so hard to believe that in Tokyo, a city that is touted as being so safe, which has a yearly falling crime rate (which is already extremely low), this happened.

And because it's in a place that I walk directly through more than 10 times a week, that I spend hours in, it feels so personal. I keep going back to it. It makes me feel so small... ;-; It seems that there are free personal-defense classes in my city, so I'm thinking that I will look into taking them...

In other news.. (It feels wrong to move on, but I'm alive and life should be lived.. just in case it ends tomorrow, I've got to move on today! I guess that I don't know any better way to deal with the feelings..) but.. THE GUNDAM 00 ANTHOLOGY IS DONE!! =D Today, Eda and I went out to check out the printer's office that we'd chosen, to see the different options for the book. It's going to look AMAZING. Once the webpage is updated, I will link link link! ^^ I've seen/read everything and the content is great! Everything is great!! =^__^= Eda is running the final check and getting the files ready for print, and I spent all morning finishing last things like tweaks, and info/toc pages and the like. =^-^= YEY! We are taking it in to print on Wednesday morning, and from there it will be in our hands in two weeks! Right before we leave for Anime Expo. =D There are a lot more logistics to deal with right now, but once the book is off to the printers it will really take a load off!! ^-^

I applied to get tickets to the amazing Macross Frontier Cheryl Nome & Ranka Lee concert that is happening in July.. I hope that I get them! Although I'm not sure how I'm going to pay for them... Cross that hurdle when it comes? ^^;; I really want to go. Even though that means that on that day I will be going to the Macross doujinshi even in the morning (from 11), then to the Gakuen Heaven musical at 3 on the other side of the city, and to the concert an hour away in Tokyo bay at 7. >.>;; LOL That day will be great, but ooooooooooo looooooooong. XD

I got the OK to write about Anime Expo for Asahi Weekly. ^.~ Awesome! Now on that note, it's bedtime... >.>;;; Nobaddreamsnobaddreamsnobaddreams..

Glad you're okay! *hughug* I thought about you when I heard it was in Akiba but then I was like "it's a Sunday so she probably doesn't have work...????" T3T;;; I had the same thought when stabbings happened at Umeda. Less to the extent of what you're feeling now since I don't go there that often but still, it's a weird feeling when you know the place and think that nothing bad will happen and yet there it is on the news. >_<;

CONGRATS ON THE DOUJINSHI!!! I can't wait to see the end result and the updated website. XD!!!

The stabbing spree is very uns the States leave me chilled. At any rate, glad you are safe and here's hoping all your acquaintances are as well. One victim was a teenage girl. Another an obaachan.

In other news, I am exceedingly jealous!applied to get tickets to the amazing Macross Frontier Cheryl Nome & Ranka Lee concert that is happening in July.. I hope that I get them! I can't decide what I make of the series yet but being a Macross junkie certainly leaves me partial. The Yokko Kanno stuff is great!

That killing rampage is terrible. I was really worried about everyone in that area. ;_; But my acquaintances appear to be safe. Well... let's treasure our lives as long as we're okay. Yay for the doujinshi! *_* I'm so glad to hear that! Are we getting preorders already? ^_~

It's so terrifying when something like this happens, especially if its in an area you frequent. My boyfriend and I often used to spend time in Akiba on a sunday when we lived in Tokyo, I once had a random crazy man ruffle my hair HARD and chase me down the street there, my most random tokyo experience. I hope that none of your friends or co-workers were involved in this, and I'm glad you're ok too.

I just finished checking all the files and adding page numbers to the ones I could 8DDDDb I'll triple-quadruple check again tomorrow that I didn't mess up because it's so confusing having a different page number for the file.

but yeah things like that leave a deep impression. last year while I was in the middle of graduating from high school there were several amok-run threats at the schools in the area and everyone was really nervous...I was already out of school because during exam times there were no regular classes for the seniors anymore... I found out about the threat at my school a day later when I suddenly had to pass police controls before going in for the exam...

it's so weird to really move on normally after such an event or even just the possibility that something like that could've happened around you and in the world you're familiar with. if you see it on TV in other countries or something it's so far away and although you feel something it's not as strong as when it happens in your immediate environment...

=(so far I'm counting down the numbers of people who react with "I'm safe" here from my friends in japan but I still haven't heard from everyone so I'm still fretting... *hugs you closer*

That's so sad...I want to cry! I'm glad you're alright and I hope that it doesn't get in the way of your life too much. And I went to the link you gave and those guys waving during the news cast...grrr. Makes me wanna shake them!

I heard about the stabbings from another friend who's in Japan right now. I'm glad neither of you got hurt, and I'm just saddened by the whole thing. Like, it didn't have to happen, but it did anyway D:

Yay, it's finished! Congrats :DDD I haven't watched Gundam 00 yet, but I only hear good things about it. Maybe I should start watching it soon XD

Wow thats horrible, I truly wish the families all the best and hope no one you know was hurt. <3

I actually wanted to ask you something unrelated to this post, but I figured you can probably answer it. My friend and I want to plan a trip to Japan in the near future.. but my question is, how do foreigners get treated in Japan, I read somewhere that some places ban foreigners from entering certain establishments, and such, is that true? Is it only to people who generally don't speak Japanese? Or do people who are not Japanese but born in Japan, or people who have lived there for a long time, and know the language, get treated the same as travelers coming to Japan? Sorry I know its a long question, but just trying to find all the info I can, while I can.

That's terrible! I can never get why people take out their frustrations on others this way. I read about this on another friend's blog and remembered you work in Akihabara... glad to hear you weren't there at that time.